Corset



- 2 Sheets+Sheet- 2.

D. KOPS.

(No Model.)

CORSET.

Patented NOV. 9, 1897.

m nouns Ptrnu 0a,. INOTMITMQ. wnsnmaron. ma

' of the United States, residing at New York,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE. a

DANIEL KOPS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.-

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forniing part of Letters Patent N 0. 593,397, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filed June 11, 1897- SGIiELlNO- 640,289- (N0 model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAYIEL KOPS, a citizen in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularlyto corsets having abdominal characteristics; and the object of the same is to make the lower portion of the corset at the front yielding, that it maymore perfectly conform to the abdominal curvature both vertically and horizontally, and also to assist in supporting the abdomen, with a tendency to reduce the same.

In carrying out my invention I form openfold plaits in the fabric body of the corset at the front portion, these plaits being nearly vertical and located between the bone-pocket strips and extending from the lower portion of the waist to approximately the bottom edge of the corset. These open-fold plaits commence near the waist-line and increase to the maximum width and then decrease and terminate approximately at the bottom edge of the corset. These plaits in use open more or less as the corset-front conforms to the abdominal curvature, and in order to give these plaits ample room for movement I form the bone-pocket strips in apeculiar manner, so that their surfaces are elevated above the surface of the corset-body and allow the plaits of the fabric body to go under the overlaying flaps. Each bone-pocket is formed from a strip of fabric whose edges are folded and then folded over, so that the edges of the first folds almost touch in the center. Three lines of sewing are preferably employed in securing each strip to the fabric body, one line of stitches being central and the others about midway to the edges, thus pockets are formed for two bones and edge flaps at the sides thereof, but I do not limit myself in this particular. These flaps may in very large-size corsets be utilized as bone-pockets. I employ tapering straps placed diagonally and having eyelet-holes to connect with a downward-pointing hook on one front steel near the lower end. These straps are secured along an upright edge to the lower portion of the corset near the sides and hips, and their object is to hold in toward the body the lower partof the corset and prevent an outward movement of the same and also provide the requisite tension and control the extent to which the plaits are extended,the straps drawin g in a diagonal line extending over the hips. In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a corset made according to myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a similar elevation, but with the straps turned back. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the corset, showing the curvature. Fig. 4 is an elevation of part of the lower front portion of the corsetin the normal position with the plaits contracted. 5 is a section in enlarged size at the line a: w of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section in enlarged size at the line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a cross-section showing the folds of a bone-pocket strip as opened forclearness. Fig. 8 is a cross-section in enlarged size, showing a bone-pocket strip and the edge flaps. Fig. 9 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 8, showing small bones in the edge flaps; and Fig. 10 is an elevation of a portion of the single-ply fabric body, showing the tapering open-fold plaits.

The fabric body of the corsetis represented at a and a, the bone-pocket strips at b, the front steel at c c, the'hook on the lower portion of one steel at 0 and the tapering inclined straps at d cl, each having a row of eyelets adjacent to its ends.

The fabric body a is single ply and of more flexible material than the single-ply fabric body a, the fabric body a being preferably used in the front portion of the corset, and the heavier fabric body a in the backand sides and over the hips, and I prefer with the fabric body a to make the fronts of the corset of three vertical tapering pieces out 0011- forming to patterns, the same running from the upper to the lower edges of the corset, the narrowest part being in the waist portion of the corset, the lines of stitching joining these strips being preferably directly behind the center of the bone-pocket strips, but I do not limit myself in this particular.

The front portions of the corset between the lower part of the waist and the lower edge of the corset are formed with open-fold plaits. The open-fold plaits e e e are between the bone-pocket strips and are shown especially in the enlarged views Figs. 5 and 6. They commence to diverge near the waist-line and increase as they extend downward to a maxi mum width and then decrease to points at the bottom edge of the corset, as shown in Fig. 10. They are preferably formed by hand in the flexible single-ply fabric body and pressed to shape and place by a hot iron and without the employment of any lines of sewing, and the respective pointed ends of the open-fold plaits are preferably held to their folded shape by a means, such as the inner waistband and the edge binding, to fix the said pointed ends and assist the folding action. In order to make these plaits effective in .use, it is necessary to make the bone-pocket strips in a particular way. This is shown in the enlarged views Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, and espeeially in Fig. 7. These bone-pockets are formed from strips of fabric whose respective edges are folded as shown at 2 3 and are then folded over at the edges 4 5. These strips are then pressed or ironed out to flatten the folds, in which position the edges of the first folds 2 3 almost touch in the center. It will thus be seen that three thicknesses are brought together and united to the fabric body of the corset. I prefer to employ three lines of sewing in securing each bone-pocket strip to the fabric body, one line of sewing in the central portion of the strip and each other in Figs. 5, 6, and 8,w'ithout bones; but in largesize corsets small thin bones, as shown in Fig.

9, may beinserted. This construction elevates the bone-pocket strips and consequently the edge flaps above or away from the fabric body.

In the normal position of the bone pocket strips (shown in Fig. 4) the edges of the edge flaps almost touch one another, and being located free from the surface of the fabric body space is left for the open-foldplaits between the bone-pocket strips, so that in the normal position of the corset these edge flaps cover the plaits, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6, and in use when the clothing is outside of the corset a space is left in which these plaits are free to move and fold or unfold as the corset conforms to the figure of the wearer.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 5 of the drawings the corset is shown as in use with the open-fold plaits extended. This condition is shown especially in the enlarged View Fig. 5, the extending of the plaits causing the curvature to the corset over the abdomen. The corset can be extended more or less at the plaits or folds to suit the figure of the wearer. The tapering straps are shown at cl d. These are secured along the upright edges to the lower front portions of the corset near the sides and hips and preferably between the bone-pockets b and the single-ply fabric body of the corcorset and at the same timeto hold the steels toward the body of the wearer and prevent an outward movement and cause the front of the'corset to conform as nearly as possible to the figure of the wearer and tend to act as a support to the abdomen, and it will be seen that these straps draw .in a diagonal line ex- 7 tending over the hips. hook c on thestud member of the steels, so as to cause the strap cl in passing over the hook-steel and fastening to the studsteel to press the hook-steel back, and in so doing prevent the corset unhooking or unfastening in use. A I

I claim as my invention 1. A corset having a fabric body and bonepocket strips upon the surface thereof, and a series of open-fold plaits in the fabric body at the lower front portions of the corset, beginning at about the lower edge of the waistline and extending to approximately the bot- I prefer to place the tom edge of the corset and located between the bonepocket strips, substantially as set forth.

2. A corset having a fabric body and bonepocket strips upon the surface thereof and a series of open-fold plaits in the fabric body at the lower front portions of the corset beginning at about the lower edge of the waistline and extending to approximately the bottom edge of the corset, said plaits beginning at their upper pointed ends and increasing as 1 they extend downward to a maximum width and then decreasing to their lower pointed ends adjacent to the bottom edge of the cor-' 1 set and located between the bone pooke't strips, substantially as set forth.

3. A corset having a single-ply fabric body with open-fold plaits in said sin gle-ply fabric body at the front portions of the corset beginning at about the lower edge of the waistline and extending to approximately the bottom edge of the corset and having bone pocket strips located between the lines of plaits, said bone-pocket strips having edge flaps that-ex tend over the plaits, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a corset, the combination with the single-ply fabric body and the bone-pockets having edge flaps, of series of open-fold plaits in the single-ply fabric body coming between the bone-pockets and tapering straps secured along an upright edge to the lower front portion of the corset near the sides and hips and having eyelets, and a downward-pointing hook near the lower edge of one of the corset-steels to which said tapering straps may be connected, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination in a corset with the fabric body, the bone-pocket strips and the steels, of a downward-pointing hook upon the lower end of the stud-steel, straps secured along an upright edge to the lower front portion of the corset near the sides and hips and whose upper edges taper down ward and whose lower edges correspond with the lower edges of the corset, and having eyelets in their tapering ends adapted to receive the hook and thus connect them-to the lower edge of the corset, whereby one strap extends over the hook-steel to press the same inward and prevent the unhooking of the steels in use, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A corset having'a single-ply fabric body and bone-pockets formed of strips of fabric folded along the respective edges and then folded over to bring the first folded edges almost in contact at the central part of the strip, the same being sewed upon the surface of the single-ply fabric body by lines of sewing which form pockets for the reception of the bones or steels, and at the same time form flaps along the respective edges of said bonepocket strips, substantially as set forth.

7. In a corset,the combination with the single-ply fabric body and the bone-pockets having edge flaps and sewed to the single-ply fabric body, of series of open-fold plaits in the single-ply fabric body coming between the bone-pockets, said open-fold plaits being located at the lower front portions of the cor- .set beginning at their upper pointed ends at about thelower edge of the waist-line and increasing as they extend downward to a maximum width and then decreasing to their lower pointed ends adjacent to the bottom edge of I the corset, and tapering straps secured along an upright edge to the lower front portion of the corset near the sides and hips and having eyelets and a downward-pointing hook near the lower edge of one of the corset-steels to which said tapering straps may be connected, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a corset, the combination with the single-ply fabric body and the bone-pockets having edge fiaps and sewed to the single-ply fabric body, of series of open-fold plaits in the single-ply fabric body coming between the bone-pockets, said open-fold plaits being located at the lower front portions of the cor set beginning at their upper pointed ends at about the lower edge of the waist-line and increasing as they extend downward to a maximum width, and then decreasing to their lower pointed ends at approximately the bottom edge of the corset, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. A corset having a single-ply fabric body and bone-pockets formed of strips of fabric folded along the respective edges and then folded over to bring the first folded edges almost in contact at the central part of the strip, the same being sewed upon the surface of the single-ply fabric body by lines of sewing which form pockets for the reception of the bones or steels, and at the same time form flaps along the respective edges of said bonepocket strips, and series of open-fold plaits in the single-ply fabric body coming between the bone-pockets, said open-fold plaits being located at the lower front portions of the corset, beginning at their upper pointed ends at about the lower edge of the waist-line and in.

creasing as they extend downward to' a maximum width and then decreasing to their lower pointed ends at approximately the bottom edge of the corset, said flaps extending over and covering said plaits when the corset is not in use, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 7

Signed by me this 5th day of June, A. D. 1897.

DANIEL KOPS.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, E. E. PoHLn. 

